Down markets like we had in 2022 can be trying in many respects, especially for investors. Unless you chose to sell a profitable investment holding in your non-retirement account, you wouldn’t expect to get a 1099 showing any capital gains…but think again. Allow me to explain.
What do 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2018, and 2022 all have in common?
Your first thought might be about negative returns in the stock market, and you would be right. However, another commonality amongst those years are capital gain distributions from mutual funds, including index funds!
Many widely held mutual funds, especially growth funds, tend to distribute taxable gains to shareholders in years that they had negative returns. That means the value of your mutual fund may drop, possibly significantly, but you may still receive a 1099 and may still owe capital gain tax!
You’re probably asking how a drop in the value of an investment can result in owing capital gains tax? It’s all about turnover in the mutual fund(s) you own. Mutual fund turnover is a measure of how often holdings are bought and sold in a fund. In volatile markets, like those mentioned above, turnover may be higher than normal. Remember, you have no control over the buying and selling of the holdings within the mutual funds you own. Additionally, capital gains, or profits, from the sale of these holdings are based on when the fund purchased the holding, not when the investor bought into the fund. So, if you own a mutual fund in a non-retirement account, you may end up paying tax on gains that you did not fully participate in!
So, how are these taxes controllable you may be asking? Don’t buy mutual funds in non-retirement accounts. Rather, build a portfolio of more tax efficient investments such as individual stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) instead. By doing this, the investor completely controls taxable transactions and is taxed on their own profits rather than those of a mutual fund. If you don’t feel confident or qualified to build your own portfolio, look to an experienced advisor to help.
This is not a recommendation to purchase or sell any specific investment. It’s also important to keep in mind that all investing involves risk and there is no guarantee that any individual investment or strategy will be successful. As an investment advisor with over 25 years of experience, I urge all serious investors to seek the advice of a reputable, experienced investment advisor. Don’t buy into the myth that all you need is a book, webinar, newsletter subscription or no-load index fund to achieve your goals.
Life is full of choices. You can choose to plan or choose not to plan. You can choose to go it alone or to work someone that has made a career out of helping people plan, invest, and protect the life they’ve worked so hard to build.
About Sal D’Angelo
I am the founder and President of LakePointe Advisors LLC, a Northeast Ohio based financial solutions firm. I am a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. I provide the experience and advice to help people build and protect their wealth, reduce their taxes, and build a secure future for themselves and those they care about.
I am a lifelong resident of Northeast Ohio. My wife and I are proud parents to three grown children. When not working, I enjoy sports, especially football and golf, and spending time with family and friends.
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